Loose-leaf binder.



F E CAHDY LOOSE LEAF BINDER. APPucATloM FILED APR. 29. 191s.

Patented Jan.14,1919.

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FRED E. CARDY, or onioaeo, iLLiNors.

LOOSE-LEAF BINDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. V14, 1919.

Application filed April 29, V1921.8. Serial llo/231,310.

To La7 whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, FRED E. CARDY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, having invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Loose-Leaf Binders, of which the following'is a full,

clear, concise, and exact description, refer-` ence being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to loose leaf binders.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a loose leaf binder in which the sheets or leaves will lie flat or substantially flat, throughout their entire width so that there will be no trouble or inconvenience in Writing upon them.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple, practical and effective construction for accomplishing the above result.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of a loose leaf binder embodying my present invention in an open condition;

Fig. 2 is a cross section taken on line 2 2 in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings I show a loose leaf binder having two covers 1 and 2, and a connecting portion consisting of the jointed sections 3, 4 and 5. casing 6 is mounted upon the section 4 and between the sections 3 and 5, and supports two or more pairs of rings 7 7, by which the sheets or leaves 8 8 of the binder are held in position. The mechanism for controlling the rings 7 7 is contained within the shell or casing 6, but inasmuch as said mechanism forms no part of my present invention and inasmuch as various types or forms of such mechanism may be employed, I have not disolosed'such mechanism herein. It is sufficient to say that the rings 7 7 are split rings of any ordinary or preferred type or kind and are combined with mechanism in the shell or casing 6 by which the split portions of the rings may be held separated from one another to permit sheets 8 to be inserted or withdrawn, and by which also said ring sections may be held clasped or closed, as shown in the drawings, to hold the sheets S in position in the cover, as well known in this art.

Devices of this kind heretofore have been subject to the objection that the covers 1 and 2 were more or less depressed relatively to the shell or casing 6, or at any rate the A shell or top surface thereof, so that the leaves 8 would have their inner edges (which engage the rings 7 7) bent or inclined up- V`wardly so thatV there would be an unsupported and upwardly inclined portion of the leaves upon which it would be very difficultY if not in fact `actually impossible to write upon them. This would be the case particularly when there were only a few leaves on the cover.

In accordance with my invention I hold the covers 1 and 2 in such a condition that their inner surfaces are flush or substaiitially flush with the top of the casing 6, when the Vbinder is open as shown in the drawings. This forms a substantially flat or flush surface between the covers 1 and 2 and the upper surface 6a of the shell 6 so that leaves 8 placed upon the covers l and 2 will lie in a substantially flat posi-tion, as shown especially in Fig. 2.

In the arrangement herein shown for carrying out my invention I provide means for holding the covers land 2 and the cover sections 3 and 5 together so as to form substantially a recess for the casing 6, as shown in Fig. 2. While various eX- pedients may be used, the arrangement shown for this consists of a plurality of bands or straps 10 rmly secured as by glue to the covers 1 and 2 and stretched between the same, preferably passing through suitable apertures 11 in the upper portion 6a of the casing 6. These bands or straps 10 hold the vparts' 1, 2, 3, t and 5, rmly inposition, as shown in the drawings, thereby forming a recess substantially the size of the casing 6, and also holding said casing 6 firmly in position in said recess. Ihese bands or straps 10 may be of any suitable material, as for example, a good quality of canvas or other fabric and are preferably glued to the covers with a layer of paper 12 to cover and conceal them. In the lower part of Fig. 1, one of these bands or straps is shown covered by the layer of paper 12, whereas in the upper part of said figure said layer of paper is broken away so as to show the band or strap 10 uncovered.

In the drawings the leaves 8 are shown in substantially level condition resting upon the substantially level iioors provided by the covers 1 and 2 and the surface 6a. Obviously said sheets may be written upon with entire convenience and ease, and this is true even when there are but a few leaves as shown on the right hand side of Fig. 2.

It will be understood that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Wvhat I claim is:

l. A loose leaf binder comprising a pair of cover sections, a ring holding mechanism between the same, jointed cover sections connected with the covers and inclosing the ring holding,` mechanism and straps or bands secured to the covers and extended between the same so as to hold said jointed cover sections in a drawn up condition.

2. A loose leaf binder comprising a pair of covei1 sections, a ring holding mechanism between the same, jointed cover sections connectedwith the covers and inclosing the ring holding mechanism and straps or bands secured to the covers and extended between the same so as to hold said jointed cover sections in a drawn up condition, said ring holding mechanism being provided with a shell or casing and said straps or bands passing through the same.y

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 9th day of April, A. D., 1918.

, FRED E. CARDY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patenti.

. Washington, D. C. 

